The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-10-07
Death or Combinatlon.

OShtu O1 SOMOlu&LlOu.
There are Just two things that the
farmers of this country will do. They
will either combine for self protection or
be trodden into the dust. 1t would seem
as if this fact should be plain to every
thinking farmer. The agricultural com.
munity has been under the tyranny of
combination in other lines of business
for years, and it has pipched severely
But combination hitherto has been alb
solutely nothing as compared to the
present condition of things. Every line
of business of any importance is being
put into iron.clad combination for the
express purpose Of robbing the public,
of which the farmers are the greater
part. Coal, provisions, cattle, rubber,
gas, strawboard and even rum are eth.
er under "trust" management or will be-;
and an addition to the prices of any Of
these articles increases the cost of doing
business and is an assessment upon every
customer. The farmer is interested in
reasonable prices for everything, wheth.
er he happens to use everything or not
Matters are being more firmly fixed than
ever to compel producers, along with
other consumers, to pay extortionate
prices for what they must buy.
And what of their own pre- ducts?
The very same combinations that hold
up the prices of all that the farmer buys
keep down the prices of what he has to
sell. He is at the mercy of all other
classes, and the situation is really be-
coming desperate. And yet the remedy
is easily in the hands of the producers.
They can combine if they will. They
comprise the largest class, and for them
to lie down and let everybody else walk
over them and stamp the life out of
them would be like big, bprly man
permitting child to kick him to death,
Within six months time the farmers of
the United States could be in position
to dictate terms to the political parties,
to boards of trade, monopolies, and every
other source Of oppression that exists, if
they would only do it; and 1t is just as
easy to do it as to turn over your hand
1t requires no canvassing, no preaching,
no ANYTHING but for every man to do
his duty. II every farmer in the
country would do his plain duty, and
liquidate the debt he owes to himself
and his children, he would at once de-
eide to enroll his name 10 some organ
ization, and with that determination
upon the part of every one, all would
be ready for organization, and, of course,
the only thing needed would be to pub.
lish notice OF place of meeting. In
two years time the farmer will find
other classes solidly combined against
him. If he thinks he has a hard row
to hoe now, he will find that the future
will bring him to harder one, unless
he asserts his natural right Of self.pro-
lection. Some Of the combinations
that have been formed, and some that
are about to be formed are either illegal
or may be pronounced SO by legislation.
But to secure either of these resu Its,
we must get into position to make our
power felt. At present we are being
devoured without making a remon-
STRANGE. At least those who are not in
are making NO remon-
If the community in which
man lived was steadily organizing to do
him and his business Fan injury he
would quickly move for self.protection.
1t would be idiocy not to do SO. But
if man should conceive that he was
called upon to protect himself from an
movement among his neigh.
bors, how much more cause has he to
provide protection against the scheming
of millions of people scattered all over
the country, against his rights and in,
terests? 1t is perfectly unaccountable
that any farmer in this whole land
should be blind to the necessities of the
hour
And these great combinations against
the producers interests do not stop
with the wrong they do the individual.
The rights of the individual are sacred
and ought to be. but after all. the ire,
parable wrong that will be done to this
free nation, if things go on as they are
now going on, will outweigh everything
else. The future in the lives of
thoughtful mans children gives him
the most concern. The father feels
that he can breast the storms whatever
they many be. But he realizes how
rough the pathway OF life is; he reads
history, and he certainly does not wish
his child to be left to the mercy of
tyranny and wrong, such as millions in
the history of the world have been com
PEELED to struggle under, and if he does
his duty he will labor to throw all the
safeguards about pcsterity that are
within his power to create. Now the
spirit of greed which is abroad
in this land means the destruction of
equal rights in America unless it is
checked. Already the railroad has set